Deck the Halls
by WinterSky101
Summary: Decorating a Christmas tree according to Magnus' exacting standards is easier said than done. Magnus/Alec.


**So I know I wrote a big TMI Christmas fic last year, but I saw a prompt about decorating on tumblr and I couldn't think of anything but Malec, so here we are with another TMI Christmas fic. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate Christmas, and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMI.**

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"Magnus, Catarina told you to stay off your leg for the next two days!"

"But Aleeeeeeeeeeec," Magnus whined. "What about the tree?"

"What about it?" Alec countered. "It's right there." He gestured at the huge Christmas tree that was taking up almost a quarter of the room. He'd come home one day to find it there, and Magnus couldn't be convinced to get a smaller one.

"It's not _decorated_ ," Magnus whined. "We need to decorate it!"

"Then use your magic," Alec suggested. He snapped his fingers. "It'll be decorated just like that."

"That's cheating," Magnus replied, sounding highly superior. "When it comes to decorating Christmas trees, I never cheat. We need to hang the ornaments up."

"We?" Alec repeated dubiously.

"Yes, we," Magnus retorted. "If you're not going to let me stand because you're a tyrant-"

"Because Catarina says it'll undo all of the healing she just did, but okay."

"-Then you have to help me with the decorations."

Alec sighed. "Fine." After all, how hard could decorating a Christmas tree be?

Fifteen minutes later, he realized that it was very, very hard indeed.

"Can't you just snap the lights on, at least?" Alec called from where he was trapped between the wall and the tree, branches in his face, the string of lights tangled up somewhere in the tree.

"Cheating," Magnus declared. "I manage to do this every year, you know."

"Good for you," Alec muttered, trying to tease the lights out. He couldn't find the end. "Magnus, if you want these lights up, you're going to have to use magic for it. I can't do this."

Magnus heaved a deep sigh. "Fine." He snapped his fingers and the lights whipped around the Christmas tree so quickly that Alec had to duck to avoid being decapitated. When they were all set up, the plug floated into the socket and the tree lit up.

"I can't believe you made me wrestle with the lights for fifteen minutes when you could have just done that," Alec muttered.

"Cheating," Magnus repeated. "You do realize I've broken my streak now, don't you? I'd decorated my trees without magic for seventeen years. That's almost as long as you've been alive. And now my streak is broken."

Alec sighed. "Ornaments now?"

"Ornaments now," Magnus confirmed. He snapped and an enormous box appeared in front of him. "Here we are."

Alec looked from the box to the tree, then back to the box. "I see why you have such a big tree," he remarked.

"I will not apologize for having such a fabulous collection of ornaments," Magnus replied, opening the box. "Now, then. I'll get out the ornaments and you put them up where I tell you, okay?"

"Okay," Alec agreed. "What comes first, the star?"

"The star goes up _last_ ," Magnus corrected, sounding scandalized. "And you'll probably need a step stool to get it on."

"Or you could use magic-"

" _Cheat-ing_ ," Magnus interrupted in a sing-song voice.

Alec groaned. "Fine. So what do we do first?"

"Hmm." Magnus pawed through the decorations, then picked one out and handed it to Alec. "Let's start with this one."

Magnus had an eclectic combination of decorations, ranging impressively in both age and style. Alec dutifully put them up where he was told. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

"No, no, no," Magnus scolded as Alec put an ornament up. "That's red and it's too close to another red piece. You need to move it."

Alec took a step back and stared at the tree. "Magnus, half of these ornaments are red."

"Well, it's too close," Magnus replied in a superior tone. "Move it to the left."

Alec obediently moved the ornament to the left, where Magnus declared it perfect. Alec had no idea what the difference was, but he knew better than to argue.

"No, don't put that there," Magnus called out a minute later as Alec put a snowflake-shaped ornament up. "It's right below another snowflake ornament. Move it a few branches down. And to the right."

"Are you sure you don't want to just us magic-"

"CHEATING."

Alec sighed. "Okay, fine." He moved the ornament, as instructed, and continued putting things up.

"No, Alec, honey, that-"

"Do you think this would be easier if I carried you and you put things up yourself?" Alec asked, taking the ornament off and moving it up a branch.

"Move it a bit to the left, dear," Magnus suggested. "And I think we're okay. The tree is half-decorated already."

"You're a little picky," Alec remarked, putting up another decoration.

"Don't have two round ornaments next to each other," Magnus scolded absentmindedly. "And I just want the tree to look perfect."

"I don't know if I can meet your standards," Alec warned, moving the ornament.

"I'm sure you can, dear," Magnus replied, grabbing Alec's hand when he reached for the next ornament and pulling him in for a kiss. "And even if the tree isn't perfect, I still love you."

"Glad to know your affection isn't contingent on my decorating skills," Alec replied sarcastically, but he kissed Magnus again before grabbing the ornament and putting it up.

"You're getting the hang of it," Magnus complimented as Alec continued to hang up the decorations. "But-"

"The candy canes are too close," Alec said before Magnus could finish, moving the ornament.

Magnus beamed. "See, you can do it."

It required more color theory than Alec had ever used before, but finally, Alec took a step back and looked at the finished tree. "Just needs the star," Magnus remarked.

"Why don't you snap it up there?" Alec asked. Magnus raised an eyebrow. "I just think you should do it," Alec added. "You could sit on my shoulders."

Magnus' smile was full of mischief. "Why don't we give it a try?"

It took a bit of maneuvering to get Magnus balanced properly on Alec's shoulders, but finally, he placed the star delicately on the top of the tree. "Perfect!" he cheered, clapping as Alec gently set him back down on the couch. "Now we just need to decorate the rest of the apartment."

Alec barely kept from groaning. Magnus snapped up a huge box of tinsel. "Now, the best way to drape tinsel is…"

Alec sighed, but he obediently took the tinsel in his hands. At this rate, decorating would take all day. Alec really, really wished Magnus could do it himself.

But, he allowed as Magnus wrapped the tinsel around Alec's neck and used it to pull him in for a kiss, there were worse things.


End file.
